Ash tray



C. Q. CADMAN ASH TRAY Filed May- 7.' 1948l July 7, 1953A Patented July 7, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Asn TRAY coin Q. caaman, silver city, N. Mejx.

Application May 7, 1948, Serial No. 25,641

6 Claims.

This invention relates to ash trays.

In most ash tray structures, the ash receming trays or like receptacles are open to view and become extremely unsightly after having been used for a relatively short time. In some constructions, covered receptacles have been pro-v vided, but devices of this character ordinarily are rather clumsy in appearance and expensive to manufacture, and the contents of the ash trays usually can be emptied only with diiiiculty.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a simple and highly attractive ash tray wherein the contents of the receptacle provided for receiving the ashes, cigarettes, are substantially hidden from view, thus preserving the neat appearance of the device even after it has been in use for a substantial length of time.

A further object is to provide an ashtray of this character which may be very easily emptied and cleaned when desired.

A further object is to provide a device of this character having a novel type of shield which hides the contents of the receptacle while at the same time providing convenient means whereby cigarettes and cigars may be extinguished.

A further object is to provide an ash tray having a relatively large open top to facilitate the entrance of ashes, cigarettes, thereinto, and wherein a shield is arranged beneath the opening and is substantially coextensive therewith to hide the contents of the receptacle from view While at the same time preserving the maximum capacity of the receptacle for receiving ashes and cigarettes. 1

A further object is to provide such an ash tray wherein cigarette supporting means is provided Which prevents a cigarette from burning down and falling from the tray without actually gripping the cigarette.

A further object is to provide a novel and attractive ash tray of the general type referred to which may be easily and economically manufactured.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following description.

In the drawing I have shown one embodi ment of the invention. In this showing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the ash tray, a

portion of the receptacle being broken away;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the ash tray; Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view on line 3 3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is va vertical transverse sectional view vbe formed of any preferably resilient material such as metal or plastic. The receptacle is shaped in cross section as shown in Figure 4 to provide a flat bottom I I adapted to rest on a supporting surface. The receptacle I Il may be of any desired size and preferably is of such size as to provide ample capacity without frequent empty- The material of the body I0 has its edges terminating in substantial spaced relation as at I2 to provide an ash receiving opening I3 (Figure 5).

End members respectively indicated as a whole by the numerals I5 and I5 are provided for the receptacle II. These end members may be formed of any suitablematerial and are preferably molded of plastic. The end members. are respectively provided with vertical walls I'I and formed integral with these walls are oppositely extending projections I8. Each end wall I'I is provided with a vertically extending central portion I9 provided with a substantially semicircular notch 2B. Each of the projections I8 is grooved as at 2i to form smooth continuations of the bottoms of the notches 2Q. Each groove 2l and its associated notch 20 is adapted to form a cigarette rest, the particular advantages of which will be referred to below.

Each end wall I'I is shouldered as at -24 to a shape corresponding to and adapted to be received in one end of the receptacle III. This receptacle is cemented or otherwise permanently connected to the shoulder 24 of the end member It to form, in eiect, an integral part thereof. rllhe receptacle I I 'tightly frictionally engages the shoulder 24 of the end member I5 so as to be normally fixed with respect thereto but removable for the purpose of emptying the receptacle.

A shield 2S, preferably arcuate in cross section as shown in Figures 4 and 5, has one end extending into a correspondingly shaped recess 21 in the wall I'I of the endmember I5. Such end of pulled away from the end member I6, the shield 2.6wi11'easily move out of the recess 28. It will 3 I be noted that the shield 26, as shown in Figure 4, is substantially coextensive in width with the ash receiving opening I3. The shield is preferably no `narrower than such opening and may be somewhat wider, if desired. The shield 26 is perforated, preferably throughout its length and width, as clearly shown.

The operation of the device will be rather apparent from the foregoing description. The receptacle I9 and shield 25 are respectively carried by one of the plastic end members of he device. Preferably, the body I is carried by one end member and the shield 25 by the opposite end member, and the purpose of Vthis is to corn-y pletely remove the shield from within the body, as suggested in Figure V5, to render the interior of the body as well as the lower face of the shield 26 readily accessible for cleaning. It is for this reason that the shield 26 has one end molded in the recess 2 in thev forming of the end member IE, with the body I0.` permanently xed to the end member I6.

In the use of the device, ashes may be knocked from a cigarette cr cigar byvengaging it with the shield 25the perforations in which permit the ashes to pass through the shield. The transverse curvature of the shield facilitates the sliding therecver of any ashes which do not fall through the perforations. When a cigarette or cigar is to be extinguished, the end thereof may be Vpressed or rubbed against the shield 26, as will be apparent, whereupon the cigarette or cigar may be dropped into the tray and will slide or roll over the shield 26 into the bottom of the receptacle i0. Thisv receptacle may be of any desired size and preferably is of a size to provide substantialV capacity. The arrangement of the shield 2E; substantially completely hides the oontents of the receptacle from view, thus preserving the attractive appearance of the ash tray.

A cigarette may be laid in one of the grooves 2i and its associated notch 2i! with the burning end over the shield 26. The relatively deep notches 2B under such conditions serve two func-Y tions. In the first place, they minimize the possibility that the cigarette may be knocked from the tray onto the supporting surface on which the tray rests. In the second place, without actually gripping the cigarette each of the notches surrounds the cigarette to a sufficient extent so that if the cigarette is left indefinitely in the position referred to, the relatively deep notches will extinguish the cigarette. Thus the cigarette is prevented from burning down to the point where the end lying inthe groove 2l is lighter than the end overhanging' the associated projection I8. It is usually under the latter circumstances that cigarettes fall from ash trays and cause unsightly burns on furniture. The present device prevents such accidents.

The receptacle may be very easily emptied. The thumb and middle finger of each hand may be placed on opposite sides of the webs 3U with the forenger over the projections I8, whereupon the end members may be pulled apart as suggested in dotted lines in Figures 1 and 2. This separates the parts as shown in Figure 5, and the end of the receptacle 'adjacent the end member I5 will be completely open and unobstructed for the dumping ofthe ashes, cigarettes, and cigars therefrom. The parts may be reassembled by moving the open end of the receptacle IG over and into frictional engagement with the shoulder 24 of the end member It, or the' device may be cleaned before such assembling of the' parts. ,The complete removal of the shield 26 from the receptacle I 0 renders the interior of the latter accessible for wiping or washing. Similarly, both the upper and lower faces of the shield 26 will be unobstructed so that they may be easily wiped or washed.

The end members I5 and I6 may be identical except that the notch 28 will be slightly wider than the thickness Aof the shield 26 to facilitate its entrance into andits removal from the notch 28. The provision of this notch is desirable in order to positively support the adjacent end of the shield 2S in the same manner that the opposite end of the shield is positively supported by its associated vertical wall I'I. The same mold maybe used for making both end members, it merely being necessary to provide a core mem- .ber of the desired thickness adapted for association with the mold for forming the opening 28.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the present device is attractive in appearance and .capable or" quite economical manufacture. Morefrictionally detachably connected to said re' over, the device is highly efficient in'use and is readily emptied and cleaned. The contents Vof the receptacle i5 are substantially completely hidden from view, thus preserving the attractive appearance of thedevice. The transverse curvature or" the shield 25 not only facilitates the fall-NV ing of ashes and cigarettes into the receptacle, but also permits the shield to be arranged closer to the topY of the receptacle to lbetter hide the contents of the receptacle without interfering with the free falling of cigarettes and cigar butts into the receptacle. In other words, the downward curving of both edges of the shield 2t provides adequate space between the shield andthe edges I2 of the receptacle Ill to allow cigars and cigarettes to freely fall into the receptacle;

I claim:

1. An ash tray comprising a receptacle of sheet material bent transversely to form a receptaclev with the edges of the sheet in spaced parallel" relation to deiine a tcp open-ing, end members' carried by said receptacle adjacent the ends of said opening, and a shield carried by said end members wholly within said receptacle in spaced relation to said opening and to the bottom of said receptacle, one of said end members being ceptacle and said shield being xed to such end member and frictionally detachably connected to shield arranged in said receptacle andsubstan-Y 5 tially coextensive in width with said opening, said end members having recesses receiving the ends of said shield to support it Wholly beneath said opening and above the bottom of said receptacle, said shield being xed in the recess of one of said heads and removably mounted in the recess of the other of said heads, the projecting portion of said one head being frictionally held in the adjacent end of said receptacle to be detachable therefrom, said receptacle being xed to the projecting portion of the other of said heads.

3. An ash tray comprising a sheet of material bent transversely to form a receptacle having a central portion forming a supporting bottom and having the longitudinal edges of the sheet spaced from said bottom and projecting toward each other in spaced parallel relation, a pair of end members corresponding in shape to the cross sectional shape of said receptacle and having reduced portions corresponding in shape to the cross sectional shape of the interior of said receptacle and projecting into the ends thereof, a n

shield arranged in said receptacle kand extend ing from end to end thereof, said end members having recesses corresponding in shape to and receiving the ends of said shield to support it above said bottom and beneath said opening, one end of said shield being permanently fixed in one recess and the other recess frictionally receiving the corresponding end of said shield, the

end member in Which the last-mentioned recess is formed being fixed to the adjacent end of said receptacle and the opposite end of said receptacle being frictionally engaged With the projecting portion of the end member at the opposite end y of said receptacle whereby, When said end members are pulled apart, said shield will remain xed to one of said end members and said receptacle Will remain fixed to the other end member.

4. An ash tray comprising a sheet of material bent transversely to form a receptacle having a central portion forming a supporting bottom and having the longitudinal edges of the sheet spaced from said bottom and projecting toward each other in spaced parallel relation, a pair of end members corresponding in` shape to the cross sectional shape of said receptacle and having reduced portions corresponding in shape to the cross sectional shape of the interior of said receptacle and projecting into the ends thereof, a shield arranged in said receptacle and extending from end to end thereof, said end members having recesses corresponding in shape to and receiving the ends of said shield to support it above said bottom and beneath said opening, one end of said shield being permanently xed in one recess and the other recess frictionally receiving the corresponding end of said shield, the end member in which the last-mentioned recess is formed being xed to the adjacent end of said receptacle and the opposite end of said receptacle being frictionally engaged with the projecting portion of the end member at the opposite end of said receptacle whereby, when said end v6 members are pulled apart, said shield will yremain xed to one of said end members and said receptacle Will remain xed to the other yend member, said shield having its top convexly curved to facilitate the falling of ashes from said shield into said receptacle and said recesses corresponding in shape to the cross sectional shape of said shield to preserve the transverse curvature thereof and the inherent beam strength therein. o

5. An ash tray comprising a receptacle formed of a sheet of material bent transversely to form a receptacle with the edges of the sheet in kspaced parallel relation dening an elongated l top opening, a pair of end members having portions corresponding in shape to and yprojecting into the ends of said receptacle to secure them thereto, a shield arranged in said receptacle and substantially coextensive in Width with `said opening, said end members having recesses receiving the ends of said shield to support it Wholly beneath said opening and above the bottom of said receptacle, one end of said shield being frictionally releasably held in one of said recesses and the end of said receptacle opposite the frictionally held end of said shield being frictionally releasably engaged with said portion of the adn jacent end member.

Number 6. An ash tray comprising a receptacle formed of a sheet of material bent transversely to form a receptacle with the edges of the sheet in spaced parallel relation dening an elongated top opening, a pair of end members having portions cor.- responding in shape to and projecting into the ends of said receptacle to secure them'thereto, a shield arranged in said receptacle and substantially coextensive in width with saidv opening, said end members having recesses receiving the ends of said shield to support it wholly beneath said opening and above the bottom of said receptacle, said shield having its top convexly curved, one end of said shield being frictionally releasably held in one of said recesses and the end of said receptacle opposite the frictionally held end of said shield being frictionally releasably engaged with said portion of the adjacent end member.

COIN Q. CADMAN.

References Cited in the file of this patenty UNITED STATES PATENTS- Barcelona Dec. 29, 1925 Smith July 7, 1931 Heise Nov. 3, 1931 Willauer June 28, 1932 Groth Oct. 18, 1932 Ames Dec. 17, 1940 Ferguson Jan. 16, 1945 Wolfe Mar. 28, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date 364,390 Great Britain Jan. 7, 1932 Baker Apr. 11, 1911 

